Hi every1! I'm still a newbie to linux, but I can work around some things by myself. I'm now having trouble to use my Nvidia GeForce 6800GT on linux. With a fresh and clean installation, it doesn't detect the device. (EE) No device detected. I tried to install the drivers with the command line by following thoses steps:
After the installation, I'm facing the commandline, even If I specify that I want to run a GUI (KDE) at boot

1 - Changing the runlevel in /etc/inittab from 5 to 3
2 - Changing 'Driver "nv" ' to 'Driver "nvidia" ' in /etc/X11/XF86Config file
3 - I also removed ' Load "dri" ' and ' Load "GLcore" '
4 - I did make sure that ' Load "glx" ' is there
5 - REBOOT!
6 - Login as root
7 - Type sh <filename> (obviosly replace <filename> by my drivers filename)
8 - Acept tle Liscence Agreement
Now troubles starts
9 - First error message: No precompiled kernel interface was found to match your kernel; would you like the installer to attemp to download a kernel interface for your kernel from NVIDIA ftp site (ftp://download.nividia.com) ?
9a - Answered Yes
10 - Second error message (after choosing "yes"): No matching precompiled kernel interface was found on the NVIDIA ftp site; This mean that installer will need to compiled a kernel interface for your kernel.
11 - (Answered OK), Third Error message: ERROR: Unable to find the kernel source tree for the currently running kernel. Please make sure you have installed the kernel source files for your kernel; on red hat Linux system, for exemple, be sure to have the 'kernel-source' rpm installed. If you know the correct kernel source files are installed, you may specify the kernel source path with the '--kernel-source-path' Commandline option.
12 - (Answered OK) Fourth error message: Installation has failed, please see the logfile and blablabla..... (the error in the logfile looks like (EE) No device found)

Obviously, I can't post my inittab and XF86Config file, because I can't have any GUI, and I don't really want to write down the whole thing, so I tried to explain the best I can what I've done, feel free to ask if you need to know something.

Any suggestion? (maybe the trouble come from the kernel, like the third error message told me)

There is some info on my system:

CPU Intel Pentium IV 2,6GHZ HT
GeForce 6800GT OC
ATI remote Wonder TV card
SoundBlaster Audigy2 ZS
BENQ FP731 17" LCD screen
Maxtor SATA 200Gb HD
using Mandrake 10.1

I think that's all... If any info is missing, just ask, any help will be really appreciate!

Thank you!

OK guys, there is an update. I successfully update the kernel to the 2.6 version. And now, when typing startx, I got 3 new error messages (yippi)

1 - (EE) No devices detected
2 - Fatal server Error: No screens found
3 - XIO: fatal IO error 104 ( Connection reset by peer) on X Server ":0.0" after 0 request ( 0 known processed) with 0 events remaining

At least I'm making progress.........

how did you update the kernel? command line i guess? what program did you use to update it?
i dont know how mandrake manages its packges, but youll have to find out and install the kernel source files for your kernel and try to run the nvidia install script again.

Hi nadroj, thank you for your reply.

I updated the kernel by command line using ' urpmi kernel-source-2.6 ' (with the CD)
It works, and I'm not getting any error when installing drivers.
I now get errors when trying to ' startx '

I'll now try to find the kernel source for my kernel and run the nvidia installer with the ' --kernel-souce-path ' option.

Thank you

If "no screens are found", it could be a problem with your XF86Config file. Post that puppy and let's find out -- J.W.

Thank you for your reply J.W.
There is my XF86Config file
-------------------------------------
-------------------------------------


# File generated by XFdrake.

# **********************************************************************
# Refer to the XF86Config man page for details about the format of
# this file.
# **********************************************************************

Section "Files"
# Multiple FontPath entries are allowed (they are concatenated together)
# By default, Mandrake 6.0 and later now use a font server independent of
# the X server to render fonts.
FontPath "unix/:-1"
EndSection

Section "ServerFlags"
#DontZap # disable <Crtl><Alt><BS> (server abort)
#DontZoom # disable <Crtl><Alt><KP_+>/<KP_-> (resolution switching)
AllowMouseOpenFail # allows the server to start up even if the mouse doesn't work
EndSection

Section "Module"
Load "dbe" # Double-Buffering Extension
Load "v4l" # Video for Linux
Load "extmod"
Load "type1"
Load "freetype"
Load "glx" # 3D layer
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Keyboard1"
Driver "keyboard"
Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
Option "XkbLayout" "ca_enhanced"
Option "XkbOptions" ""
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Mouse1"
Driver "mouse"
Option "Protocol" "ExplorerPS/2"
Option "Device" "/dev/mouse"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "6 7"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "monitor1"
VendorName "Generic"
ModelName "1024x768 @ 70 Hz"
HorizSync 31.5-57.0
VertRefresh 50-70

# Sony Vaio C1(X,XS,VE,VN)?
# 1024x480 @ 85.6 Hz, 48 kHz hsync
ModeLine "1024x480" 65.00 1024 1032 1176 1344 480 488 494 563 -hsync -vsync

# Dell D800 and few Inspiron (16/10) 1280x800
ModeLine "1280x800" 147.89 1280 1376 1512 1744 800 801 804 848

# Dell D800 and few Inspiron (16/10) 1680x1050
ModeLine "1680x1050" 214.51 1680 1800 1984 2288 1050 1051 1054 1103

# Dell D800 and few Inspiron (16/10) 1920x1200
ModeLine "1920x1200" 230 1920 1936 2096 2528 1200 1201 1204 1250 +HSync +VSync

# TV fullscreen mode or DVD fullscreen output.
# 768x576 @ 79 Hz, 50 kHz hsync
ModeLine "768x576" 50.00 768 832 846 1000 576 590 595 630

# 768x576 @ 100 Hz, 61.6 kHz hsync
ModeLine "768x576" 63.07 768 800 960 1024 576 578 590 616
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "device1"
VendorName "nVidia Corp."
BoardName "NVIDIA GeForce 6800 (generic)"
Driver "nv"
Option "DPMS"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "screen1"
Device "device1"
Monitor "monitor1"
DefaultColorDepth 24

Subsection "Display"
Depth 8
Virtual 1024 768
EndSubsection

Subsection "Display"
Depth 15
Virtual 1024 768
EndSubsection

Subsection "Display"
Depth 16
Virtual 1024 768
EndSubsection

Subsection "Display"
Depth 24
Virtual 1024 768
EndSubsection
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "layout1"
InputDevice "Keyboard1" "CoreKeyboard"
InputDevice "Mouse1" "CorePointer"
Screen "screen1"
EndSection

Hummm..... Strangely, The 'Driver' come back to "nv" by itself ... lol..... I changed it to "nvidia" and, also change the initlevel back to 5 in inittab. And it's now working!!!! Yippi!

Thank you J.W. , Your post really help me